blkpetal's Full Review: Canon PowerShot SD400 / IXUS 50 Digital Camera
Let me start by saying, I am not a photographer. I am an average user and as far as electronics go I am the same level – enough knowledge to get me into trouble sometimes!
The Canon Powershot SD400 Digital ELPH (5.0 mega pixels) has changed my life. It is so user-friendly that now, even I am taking great pictures and uploading them to my computer in seconds! I know Canon has always been the leader in camera’s and recently they have given the digital market a surge and rightfully so – their ELPH line is compact, easy to use, durable and none of this results in a sacrifice of Quality.
Since becoming a proud owner of this gem I have done some research and have laid out a review that I think is most helpful for people like me – we are not tech savvy but we strive to be smart buyers!
*Overview
The Canon Powershot SD400 (I will just refer to it as the SD400 here on out) is small and lightweight (3.4x2.1x0.81 inches) and it has a 2” x 1” color LCD Screen as well as a viewfinder that can be used to conserve the battery-life. The camera takes nice pictures and the movies are good quality too – only the sounds is a little muffled unless you hold the camera very still.
With the 5 megapixles, you can zoom in really close on pictures – even once you have taken them! – without loosing the quality of the image. There is a fully retractable 3x optical zoom and you can take images that are normal, fine and superfine if you want to get a really nice detailed image.
The camera has intuitive flash options – that are easy to locate and use – with red-eye reduction (that does not work too well but can be taken out using any photoshop program). The SD400 also has a feature that lets you easily switch between settings meant for close up shots and landscape shots without having to reset the focus or fuss with the features on the camera.
Also included automatically set-up are separate settings for nighttime shots, portrait shots, indoor lighting shots, underwater (additional equipment required – the camera by itself is not waterproof) and a quick snap for photos of kids and pets – easy to switch to and automatically there for people like me who are really just looking to capture the special moments just right. There is also a Manual mode for those with more experience!
The ease of going from snapshot to the display mode is great – allowing quick and easy review of your shots to be sure everything is perfect – plus if the shot didn’t work it is easy to delete the photo and I have not yet accidentally deleted a photo because the camera required that you confirm your deletion.From start to finish I just can’t believe how intuitive the SD400 is – Canon really got it right!
*The Details
- The Flash
The SD400 has a number of different flash options to accommodate different lighting, time of day and location – as well as what you are shooting. First – and most useful – is auto mode. The camera can determine the lighting and will automatically use the flash when necessary. Just leaving the flash on will always use the flash which seems to use up the battery faster so I recommend just using Auto. There is a Red-eye reduction option, as I mentioned, but I don’t find that it is working very well. I can’t say that it works better than any other red-eye reduction mode I have seen but it is just average. There is also a night-time mode or “slow synch” which can be used when shooting in really dark areas.
The range is supposed to be about 10 feet and while I won’t claim to have broken out a tape measure or anything but I have seen other people say that it only really works to cover about six feet and I would agree.
Canon does have external flash devices that can be used if this is a problem.
- LCD Screen
The screen is 2” x 1” – this is defiantly big enough to get a really good sense of the picture you want to take but helps make sure that the camera is still small enough to be pocket-sized! The LCD screen on the SD400 is really clear and I am amazed at how much I can zoom in on pictures. The 5 megapixels are really handy when zooming in on shots that you take.
The LCD screen is also the user interface so it displays all the information about what mode you are in and the settings you would like right over the pictures. The LCD screen is definitely what I recommend for using when taking important shots but it eats up the battery life. The only other con to the LCD screen is that when taking a picture in the dark – where the flash is essential – it is near impossible to line up the shot because the screen gets too dark. While you can fuss around with the settings, you really can’t judge the quality of the image until you have already taken it. It is MUCH BETTER than many other camera displays I have seen – Canon uses a Night Display Fuction on their cameras that blows the competition out of the water – but it is still pretty annoying.
Of course, when taking pictures outdoors in the bright light, the LCD screen is perfectly functional and the LCD screen actually has a glare reduction coating and – again the brightness can be changed in the setup menu but it is not automatic.
- Viewfinder
The traditional viewfinder is not missing from the SD400 and while you can’t see the entire picture in the viewfinder (it covers 80%) it saves battery life and is great for heavy use. The viewfinder is high-quality and has a nice “target” to help center the photograph.
One limitation is that there is not a diopter correction for people with glasses but I have a low prescription and it has not been a problem for me.
- Focus options
The SD400 has the Advanced intelligent Auto Focus (AiAF) which translates to me into = FAST & EASY.
Using the LCD screen, you will see a green rectangle to ensure that the camera is focusing on the right object (The rectangle falls to the center object automatically). Using this the camera can help focus on the subject of your photograph but you can also manually override the focus if need be if you are trying to take something more than just a traditional point and shoot photo but experienced photographers should know there is no traditional manual focus.
Something that is pretty cool is that even in low light you can still use the focus – the camera projects a light onto the subject and that helps to determine the focal point when the screen is at its weakest!
- Zoom in, Pan out
Easy as pie – the SD400 has a zoom that can go the distance!
This tiny camera packs a 3x zoom capability and it is done quickly and smoothly without any jolting or resetting. You can adjust the zoom so easily and the detail is great – I have taken some fabulous landscape shots and they are from angles I could not have dreamed to capture before this camera!
- Memory Cards
The camera saves to memory cards. The Secure Digital memory cards are really small and you can grab a few for long trips and never have to worry about running out of “film”!
The camera comes with a 16 MB card but I highly recommend getting a larger on – they come as high as 512 MB and it is well worth it.
- The battery
Ok, I have trash talked the battery life quite a bit in this review so I would just like to set the record straight – the battery life is really good – it just gets shorter the more you use the LCD screen, the flash and when you preview your pictures a lot.
The battery is small – making it lightweight and allowing the camera to remain compact. I recommend getting a back-up battery if you are going hiking or on a trip and won’t be sure when you will be near an outlet. The NB-4L battery is about 1” x 1” and thin as a match. I would estimate that the battery should last for about 100 pictures (this assumes you are using the flash regularly, using the LCD screen and reviewing your images on a fairly regular basis).
The battery must be removed in order for it to be charged which means carrying an extra piece of equipment with you – the battery charger is roughly the same size as the camera (I say this more to highlight how compact the cameras vs. how large the charger is) and it is really light so it is not a bulky item to carry around.
There is no battery status bar but when the battery starts to get low a red battery image flashes on the LCD screen. I have taken a number of pictures while the battery icon was flashing so don’t worry about the camera shutting down on you – it is difficult to gage with no meter though.
- Design and Comfort
The SD400 is light so it is easy to hold for a long time. It comes with a wrist string that is pretty durable and holds the camera very securely around the wrist.
It is a nice silver color and the buttons are located in logical places – I am right-handed though so I may be biased.
- Not to get technical on you…File formats, connecting to your computer/uploading and a few specifics
The images are set up as JPEGs – pretty standard – and even after they are uploaded retain their true quality (thus the 5 megapixels!).
Uploading the images to my computer was SOOO easy. The camera comes with a cable that connects to your USB port and the pictures load up in seconds. A driver is needed for uploading pictures to your computer but the CD supplied with the camera has everything you need.
Resolution: 5 megapixels (2592 x 1944)
Lens: f2.8-4.9/35-105 (35mm equivalent) all-glass 3X zoom
Viewfinders: Real-image optical & 2.0" LCD screen Auto
Focus: TTL AiAF nine-point autofocus system
Exposure: Program AE (Automatic) and Program modes
Metering: Evaluative, Center-Weighted, or Spot
Exposure Compensation: Yes +/- 2EV in 1/3-step increments
White Balance: TTL auto and presets for daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, fluorescent H, and custom (manual)
Noise Reduction: automatic on long exposures
Sensitivity: Auto and ISO 50, 100, 200, & 400 (35mm equivalents)
Flash: Built-in multi mode (extra external flash is also available for sale)
Memory Storage Media: SD cards
Image File Format: JPEG
Connectivity: USB 2.0 & A/V out
Power: Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery (type: NB-4L)
*My Experiences
So far I have taken the camera hiking and used it mostly at parties and family functions.
In all settings the camera has worked like a dream, catching the images I most wanted and getting the detail I truly needed. My outdoors photos are just as beautiful as the view from the mountains and even taking pictures of fast rushing waterfalls the image came out perfectly.
Indoors, I was at a friend’s party and he has disco lights going – the lights left streaks of colored light across the photo that – while pretty tripy – were not what I intended. I could not completely get rid of them but on the setting to capture kids and pets it was decreased. I didn’t miss any of my friends being goofy so all in all the memories were captured!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 360 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.